I love reading all the other topics, as far as, where everybody is from and how you met your signigicant others, and so forth. How about, why did you start decorating cakes?

My nephew had a Valentine's day party at his school, and he was signed up to bring dessert. Being that I always had an at-a-distance fascination with cake decorating (my aunt and great-grandma used to do cakes when i was younger) I volunteered to make a cake. It was the huggable bear cake pan with a heart in the tummy. That same weekend, I was so pumped by decorating that one, i made another one to take to work. This the addiction began.

My mom did some cakes when I was little. I'd play with the tips and bags and try to make things. After I had my first little boy I went to a Michael's grand opening where they had signs about the class starting up. I thought it would be great to get some time by myself and I fell in love with it! Now my boys love it and my oldest says one day he'll be "a world famous chef!"

I went to my stepson's wedding and at the reception, I almost wanted to cry when I saw their cake... but then so did the DIL the bride! she had paid this lady to do her cake and 2 days before the wedding, the lady told her she couldn't do her cake .. she got really angry and told the lady she'd been paid for over 3 months and she'd better have a cake at her wedding or else... well, she got the cake.. which was 3-tier cake with absolutely no support under the tiers.. the cake was leaning so bad, it was about to fall .. they literally diassembled it to cut the cake .. it was terrible!! So, that inspired me to get into cake decorating and I haven't looked back since.. I'm always learning or trying something new .. I am constantly reading to learn new stuff.. my cake room is LOADED with books lol ... My sister and I said for years we wanted to take cake decorating classes so I heard about a leisure learning course being given at a local university so I enrolled us both, then told my sister she was going with me She loved it and we've taken the 3 Wilton courses also... We both do cake decorating.. my sister mainly does it for her office where she works and I do for my office and outside orders too

I STARTED ON AN ICE CREAM CAKE AND DID THAT FOR 14 YEARS. THEN I HAD KIDS AND BAKED MY CAKES FOR FAMILY AND FRIENDS. MY HUSBAND HAS A BIG FAMILY AND I DO FOR THEM WHENEVER IT IS A BIRTHDAY OR ANY OCCASION ANYMORE. I ALSO DO CAKES FOR MY FIREHOUSE WHENEVER THERE IS A PARTY OR BIRTHDAY. I LIKE THE PEACE AND QUIET OF IT WHEN NOBODY IS AROUND. I ENJOY THAT TIME!

I am not good at any thing and believe me i have tried a lot of different hobbies, anyway i wanted to give my mom something nice for her birthday last year that she didnt have. you have to understand that my mom has money. not money like the rest of us, i mean money like most of us dream of hitting the lottery to get. so you have to understand that just buying her a gift was not happening. anyway, i had bought a cake decorating book from Avon and i flipped through it and decided on making a cake for her out of a box cake and canned icing. it came out pretty good so i thought hey maybe i can be good at this. so after i did a few cakes i got brave and made my own cake batter. it has been a year and i finally made my own icing. i have been an addict since 7-7-04. i dont want a 12 step either.

I started out of frustration in that I couldn't find anyone to make a character cake for my son's birthday.
I finally did find someone to make the cake I wanted and then started thinking...... as a little girl my grandmother was always baking and there was me standing on a chair watching and trying to help (yes, licking the beaters when your really little is helping ), my mother always made us kids the cutout type birthday cakes and I was always trying to bake things (my mom can attest to the batter on the curtains and walls in the kitchen after I was done AND I always loved doing crafty things so....with that in mind I knew I could combine my love of baking and creativity to do this and, as they say..............the rest is history, I'm hooked on decorating cakes.

Good topic.

I started about 3 years ago exactly when I got out of a bad relationship with an ex. We were together for awhile and I completely lsot myself and once I was "free" I didn't know what to do. It was just a relief to be able to do things for me and only worry about me.

A friend of mine was going to take a class at a store called Cake Art here and she told me about it and asked me if I wanted to sign up too. So we took it and only one of us kept with it and took more. Guess who?

I can thank that idiot ex for allowing me to find one of my passions.

It's all Tammy's (tcrema) fault!!! I remember her bringing this cake to a birthday party. I was like wow that she made it and it wasn't store bought(This is before any classes).Then my son had his 2nd birthday. Me and my husband made his cake. Made Woody's bed off of Toy Story and put a bunch of characters of TS on it. It turned out pretty cute. A lot of fun. Then me and Tammy started talking about taking the Wilton classes at Michaels. We took all 3(I,II,III) classes together. I had a blast. It was a lot of fun. When I was younger, I never imagined that I would ever be decorating cakes. Now its one of my favorite hobbies. Thanks, Tammy!!!!! Miss ya, girl!!!!!

What a great Topic! I took a class at a local high school about 15 years ago. I really enjoyed it, but never did anything with it. I went on to college and had 3 children. I worked years as a floral designer and then nursing. I was injured on the job about 3 years ago and diognosed last year with rhumatiod athritis. I am now a stay at home Mom and felt like I needed something to do with my time that 'I' enjoyed. My sons birthday was coming up and I had no money for a cake and said heck I am gonna try to do my own. I refuse to pay $30 for a yucky ole' store bought cake. To make a long story short I spent $85 in Micheals and its history from there. I am on Class 2, skipped class one because it was full. I am so amazed at how much I love doing this now, it is also great exercise for my hands. God blessed me with a talent and this time around I am gonna enjoy myself and keep at it!
Denise

i went to culinary arts school and i loved that. after i met my hubbie and i got preg i kind of let things go. when we found out my hubbie was sick and it looked like he wasnt going to be able to work again.. i needed to do something. i cant handle a 9-5 job. i like being by myself and being my own boss.

kind of the funny part. but i was sitting in the bathroom thinking how our life was going down the drain.. it came to me that i should have my own business doing something that i loved. i started doing chocolates and they were a big hit. i hit up ebay and everything bc we have nothing close to us.. then last year during halloween i got asked if i could do cookies. ive never done cookies except chocolate chip or w/e so i figured id give it a try.. i had so much fun doing those i started doing cookies.

i had friends that worked with eric if i did birthday cakes bc the places around here they cost so much..and thats how i got into cakes.. my hubbie is fine now and can go back to work. but i love doing this so ive just kept doing it..

and thats my little story

I work in a bakery when I was 15 and enjoyed it. Then I love to bake and cook, so a few later I took the wilton courses to learn more. I really have been doing more since my daughter was born six years ago. I think one of my best cake is a 3D blues clues cake I did a few months ago for my son's birthday. So, I do it for fun, it is relaxing for me to do all the details. I love when I design a cake. My daughter birthday is in Oct. and she put in what she wants for it, but after she starts school she will probably change her mind.

Have enjoyed reading everybody's posts on this topic. I did the wilton homestudy course almost 30 years ago when the children started coming. I did cakes for them and school needs for about 15-18 years. Then got into decorative painting and am now combining the two of my favorite things to do. No orders yet and don't plan to be an official business due to too many legalities so will do friends and family.

I've always loved baking. Everytime we had a family dinner, I would make a cake, from the box that is and with no decorations...Just plain dessert. As I grew older, I decided I wanted to take an Australian Wedding Cake class that was being offered somewhere in town...But that didn't happen...Instead, I ended up going to college for a BA in Business Admin/Accounting. Years later, while planning my wedding and hiring the baker, I fell inlove with the art, especially rolled fondant. I had a lovely cake, yet it was not what I expected. Not what I dreamed of. So...given that I loved the art, and wanted to give brides the cake of their dreams, 10 years after the conception of the idea, I finally took the Wilton Courses. Sad to say, my "teacher", WAS HORRIBLE... He himself is a good artist, but a bad bad teacher who seemed to be miserable all the time. He was not sharing his knowledge...he was not even correcting us when we were wrong, nor offered commendation when we did something right! He didn't even compliment my Wilton Course grad cake! Anyways...I really focused alot on the fondant class, as I knew that's what I wanted to do. Made a few cakes early that year and then in April took a 1 week class at an institute...Basically went over the basic Wilton the correct way, and learned how to make marzipan fruit and chocolate clay and roses.

And here I am... 1 1/2 yrs after I took that Wilton course. Learning as I go. My name says it all...It's what cake decorating is to me. I go to bed thinking cake, dream cakes, wake up thinking cakes...I see patterns, people, clothes and think cake! I strive to learn on my own as it gives me a sense of achievement. I can say "I learned this on my own" I even tought myself how to bake from scratch...Have yet to learn good piping!

My mom dabbled a bit in cake decorating when I was a kid, probably late grade school age. She had a little thing that looked like a cookie press with tips that she used to do borders and things and she let me play too. We also had a neighbor who decorated cakes. I took 4H cooking and sewing and the neighbor was the 4H leader and she showed us some basic techniques. We all entered a cake in the county fair.

In high school and my early twenties I made cakes for family birthdays and even helped with the cake at my sister's wedding.

I stopped decorating until I took the Wilton fondant class about seven years ago and then stopped again when I started having babies and went to grad school. I just started again a few months ago and am having a great time! I even made my niece's wedding cake a couple of weeks ago.

All of you and this site are better than any class I have ever taken.

My story is a tad similar to Godivas. As far as the dreaming, living sleeping, cake thoughts and designs! I was very artistic as a child and teen , and everyone thought that I would wind up at the very least an art teacher or something similar.

However I married young and began to raise a family and went into real estate. Then some years later , just sick to death of my job. I finally became financially able to just quit and try my hand at this. I cater and also sell wedding dresses and have a small shop, but my true love is cake decorating. I hope to soon phase out the rest of the shop and someday do NOTHING except cakes.And maybe when I am good enough... teach classes. I am completely self taught and have had no formal decorating training.

Hi there!
I got into doing cakes on October 23, 2002. It was my nephew's 1st birthday and my sister couldn't really afford a cake for his party...sooooo I said I'll do it you are doing Scooby Doo Right? So I bought a scooby pan and I followed the directions for it. I thought WOW I can finally do something ARTISTIC! My whole family can either paint, draw, cut hair you know something like that...but me NO ARTSY bone in my body, I can't even draw a straight line with a ruler! So anyway, I thought I can do this, I LOVE TO BAKE, love to try new things I can really do this. So Along came one of my neighbor's kids birthday and she asked me to do the cake. I said sure why not. I made the cake that Amber "Amegamom" was referring to and everyone was like Wow you can work at wal-mart! I was so pleased with myself that I talked and talked and finally talked Amber into taking the classes with me. I also was looking for something to help me pass the time (My husband was doing a year Remote in Korea). I look back at that cake now and I can't help but laugh and think how pathetic it looks. I knew nothing about cake decorating at the time and I see now that it shows. Thank God for Amber taking the class with me. I would have probably never taken them if she hadn't agreed to take them too! That is how I got into Decorating and have loved it ever since!

One day I had decided that I was too attached to home and the family. I did nothing but family things. No going out with the girls, nothing. So I decided that I really needed to get some business. So, I was in Joann one day and saw the classes and I signed up. Been hooked ever since. It was a refreshing change. Now I have something that I really enjoy and it gives me a break from the family.

Hey Ya'll,,
I have really enjoyed reading all of your stories. I am like many of you, I played with cakes here and there and then came my kids birthdays.. & that was it.. I built my daughter a Castle with stacked 9 in square cakes and stared Sugar cones.. and it had a level issue.. but it was CUTE dern it! hahaha. & the Very 1st cake I had ever tried to Stack much less get my super Fluffy Icing to smooth on.. but it was fun and She Just Loved it. & I made my son a Race Track Which he loved so Much he started driving the cars on it before it was even time to cut it. So I warned all the guest that he had already driven cars on the cake they may or may not want to eat it. Guess what.. that didnt stop anyone from eating it. Good thing I do both partys at once..
The Castle was Huge.. & I did it!
So that is when I decided to take the courses. and loved them. & Wooo Hooo I am not paying all that money for cakes that aren't worth it.. & My Kids Love that I do it too. they like to play with the icing, I give them a board and let them decorate or try doing boarders, stars and anything else they want to try. but I always remind them that their bag & bowl has to stay away from Mine.. hahah.. I know they lick their fingers,, and I swear I saw my 8 yr old squeezing the icing straight into my 4 yr olds mouth..hahaha.. & Hey I can level the cakes now!!!!!! Yayyyyyyy! I really Love the fact too that I can do extra special cakes for my kids birthday cakes. & the Kids love saying My Moma Made that!
~Sweet~

Oh, cool, I opened a thread like this on another forum.... I almost did the same here but you all beat me to it...

I started decorating cakes merely by accident... I searched for a lady to do a cake for me with the theme of the Big Comfy Couch, a TV show for children. No one could do it. I went miles to a lady someone referred me to that did delicious cakes... but she still couldn't do what I wanted. I just told her to do the colors of the theme and I would come up with the cake topper.

After that, I said, the heck with this.... I am learning this art and doing all of my kids cakes from now on...

So I have been... I took two of the Wilton courses and sometimes people ask me to make them cakes, but I don't do it as a business.

I like it more than I thought I would. I am really stuck doing this and I like it. I love to see other's people design and see cake decorators working their magic...

uggghh I think it wants me to Say HI Again! hahaha..
Have a Great Day Everyone!
~Sweet~

I had never made a cake except in a pan and covered it with store frosting...BORING. When I had my first child....Kiza, I wanted to make a special cake other than a regular plain store bought cake. Her birthday theme was Elmo so I got a Elmo cake pan, baked it, decorated it and surprised myself how good it turned out. I got so many compliments on it! Every year for her birthday since I have made her cakes...Nemo for her second, and Cinderella this last year. I have started making cakes for other peoples celebrations, and even got paid for my first customer order a couple months ago. I just love the hard work and dedication it takes to make it just perfect...the outcome of a finished cake is the best! I take a million pictures and look at them all the time to see what I could have done differently. I love that each time I make a cake I start getting better and faster at doing it. My new venture coming up is wedding cakes. Wish me luck! I had twin boys in December so making cakes is my time to myself. It is a lot of work...but as KATE39 said...it's quiet time. I love making other people smile and happy with my creations. Thanks to you all I keep on learning more and more!

I have always wanted to learn to decorate cakes. My uncle is a baker and he always told us (my mom, sisters & I) that they were always looking for cake decorators in the bakeries where he worked, and they started at 16$/hr, so it would be a good job for us to get into, since we liked to bake and stuff.

My first decorated cake was the wilton teddy bear pan, and I used store bought icing, lol, and did the stars. It turned out ok, considering I had no clue what I was doing. I made it for my ds's 1st birthday. The next year I made the same cake, lol. The year after that, 2 years ago, I finally got around to taking the Wilton courses at my local Hobby Lobby store, 'cause I was determined I was going to know how to make my boys cool cakes for their b-days in Feb. I took course I in Jan, course II in Feb, and made the Thomas & Percy cakes (in my photos,) for my boys' b-days. I took course III in March, and the rest is history I am getting a few orders now, not nearly as many as I would like though. Hopefully it will pick up though.

Melissa

Great post!

For me it's something I've always wanted to do since I was a young girl. So I finally decided to do it. My friend took the classes and said they were so fun, and encouraged me to go too.

I started when my daughter was just a baby...she is almost 8 now! I always wanted her to have a special cake...and ended up doing her cakes myself. After I had my son...and being abandoned by my ex-husband...I decided to start up a little home business. It has been a lot of fun...and I get lots of practice!!!! My family has been really supportive of me...they even added a second kitchen to our house!!! Because my daughter was my inspiration...I added her name into my cake business..."Theme Cakes by Traci & Kasey." Last night we were online looking at pics of the barbie cakes that have the cake dress...I have to do one this weekend...my daughter saw a pink one and said, "That is really pretty...but we have do to a different one because they won't like the taste of fondant." She has learned a lot from watching me in the kitchen...someday I guess she will be doing cakes too!!!
traci

I was fascinated by fondant and the way it looked. I researched online....saved my favorite cake photos and took a trip to a cake supply store. About $300 later I am armed and ready to decorate!!! I have found my niche. My bookshelves are jammed with books on every kind of craft you can think of that is done by hand including jewelry making, painting, mosaics, glass painting, stained glass....I've done it all....God blessed me with these hands and I need to use them for good! What's better than a cake????

I have been in the kitchen for as long as I can remember. I used to go to my grandmother's house and she would let me play with her kitchen gadgets and I would imagine I had my own cooking TV show. Between her and my mother, they taught me how to make all sorts of sweets and treats. I even still remember the first dessert I made: a Chocolate Souffle! Cake was a huge part of any occasion growing up, I can remember my mom's friend doing cake decorating, and she made me a First day of Kindergarten cake and my 5th birthday cake (Strawberry Shortcake)!
I have always been fascinated with the incredible things people do with simple things found in the kitchen. At Christmas '03, I received the Wilton Course I kit and the Wilton Decorating Cakes book from my BF's mom. I started making cakes for family and friends' birthdays, nothing too much. At Christmas '04, I got the bestest gift of all--a KA stand mixer! That sent me into high gear making cakes! I've taken the Course I class, but they haven't offered Course II for me to take yet. I would love to do this for a living, even though I still have a hard time charging people!!

I thought I was signing up for heavy engine repair.

After my pattisier training, here in Germany, I quit the job, because it wasn´t that "creative" as I thought. And then, now 13 years ago, my british girl-friend came to me and ask me to do wedding-cake (but please english not german ). As I havn´t heard of fondant, gum-paste, more colors then blue, green, red and yellow, she brought books from Uk and as I looked to this pages, it was like beeing in heaven - creative cake decoration. Ok her cake was decorated with fresh flowers, as I couldn´t manage to do any gum-paste, but it was covered in fondant and looked so much better, then all the cakes I´ve seen during my training. So after her wedding I took several courses in the Uk and started my business now 12 years ago. I still have problems getting all the stuff needed over here, but lucky me, there is online-shoping and a good postel service

Here is my story. My son wanted a sponge bob cake for his birthday (i don't even thing he ever saw the cartoon but he had the toy anyways) i went to the local grocery stores and they didn't have anything i seen that was worth what they were asking for price. so i went to walmart got a pan and the witon yearbook and that was that. And now that i am on the CC web site ALL THE TIME i found it to be somehing that i really enjoy to do.

It is great to see everyones stories.

To start with I use to decorate cakes with my aunt. She use to do my uncles cakes (One uncle is only 4 years older than me) I actually decorated one of his HS graduation cakes (I was so proud! everyone liked it.)

I thought after I graduated HS that I wanted to go to school to become a pastry chef. So I started working in a bakery b/c I wasn't ready to actually go to school yet. I started with Donuts, went to packaging and stocking the shelves then to baking. I had expressed an intrest in decorating cakes, however at the time there wasn't time to teach me properly. However one weekend our main decorater's MIL passed away and she went out of town. Our other decorater's we unavailable also. So I got about a 2 hr introduction to decorating cakes. I was taught base icing, a few different borders, and roses. And then I had another decorater with me for about another 6 hrs while we worked on orders together. Then I was on my own. It wasn't exactly the ideal way to learn... expecially in a grocery store setting. However it was a great start and it got me hooked.

5 years later I no longer work in a bakery after a career change, so I do cakes at home. It was quite an adjustment going from a bakery with most of the equipment I could want to having little at home and buying everything I always enjoyed baking everything growing up. Expecially breads, cookies, and cakes.

Every year I also try a new candy. Candies are something I like and want to learn so this is my way of getting to try new things. My family and my BF's family enjoy it for sure. They like trying something new every year. And then I have found a few things now that I have to make every year, Peanut Butter fudge is one, they just can't get enough of it.